


Dark Blue

by Kitsune_Heart



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: Blanket Permission, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Podfic Welcome, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-13
Updated: 2012-04-13
Packaged: 2017-11-03 13:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/381935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Heart/pseuds/Kitsune_Heart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oneshot. After a moment of fun goes awry, Artemis realizes that their time travel adventure has left Holly with a new phobia. Reluctantly, Holly allows Artemis a chance to cure this inhibition, also giving him a chance to overcome an old one. Fluffy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dark Blue

**Author's Note:**

> This story inspired by the song "Dark Blue" by Jack's Mannequin.

"Get out of the water, Artemis."

The voice barely managed to make it's way into his stoppered ears, but the interruption was enough to throw off Artemis Fowl's concentration. The result was a flawed and rather weak kickoff from the wall of the Manor's pool. He surfaced only a few feet away, wiping black hair back from his goggles so he could bestow the elf with an adequate scowl. "Hello to you, as well, Major."

Standing with one hand on her hip and the other cradling a helmet to her side, Holly Short reflected back his irritation. "We've got a lot to cover tonight on the Ritual tree project. Come on, out." She slapped her hip like a master calling for their dog.

Perhaps if Holly had not tried to summon him in this manner, Artemis would have agreed. Unfortunately, he did not take lightly to being treated like a well-trained Irish Setter. "I have devoted entirely too much time to this endeavor, as is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must finish my exercises." Settling into a backstroke, he began to pull away from the elf.

"Artemis! Get _back_ here! You...you...ooooh!" Holly slammed her helmet to the ground, looking about for a cleaning net or a life preserver to lob at the infuriating boy. 'Less than a minute into this meeting, and I'm already contemplating homicide. A new record, I think.'

Sadly, all of the cleaning and life-saving equipment seemed to have their own inconspicuous storage areas, and she did not have the time to find them. The indoor pool was practically empty, barring a few potted plants and an enormous plastic raft leaning against one wall. "This isn't a very safe pool, Artemis! What if you start to drown?" She hoped her admonishment would at least gain his attention.

" _WHAT_?" Artemis yelled far too loudly to be genuine. "Earplugs! Can't hear a thing!"

'Oh, that's it,' the elf seethed, nails digging into the palms of her hands. 'I am going out there and kicking him in his fat Mud Man head!' Her temper now as red-hot as her hair, Holly snatched the mattress-like flotation device from the wall, dragging it into the pool. Taking a few steps back from the edge, she built up speed and launched herself onto the raft, landing in much the same stance as a surfer. She instantly rocketed forward on her well-aimed craft, prepping her leg for a good swing.

Luckily, water isn't the most stable thing to attack upon. Holly had not accounted for the wake created by the Irishman's movement, which set the float moving back the few centimeters needed to save Artemis's skull. Instead, water splashed over his upturned face as Holly kicked, causing him to breath in a bit of the liquid and bringing his current lap to an abrupt halt.

Coughing violently, he floated upright next to the mattress, his head barely clearing the water. Moving the goggles to the top of his head and removing his earplugs, he once again resumed his disapproving gaze. "You have thrown off my rhythm."

"Oh, goodness," Holly whimpered, hands to her cheeks, "your rhythm. I suppose you'll just need to quit for the night."

"No," he said rather slowly, "I will have to start over."

"Come on. I don't have time to wait around while you improve your poor speed."

"Poor speed!" He grabbed the edge of the raft, pulling himself closer, despite the previous attack on his person. "I have been swimming for years, I'll have you know. My speed is by no means poor."

"Oh, impressive." She looked down at the human, enjoying this sudden switch in their relative heights. "What's your lap time? Three minutes?"

"Hardly."

"Oh, congratulations. You're past the doggy-paddle, then."

"Long past." At her skeptical look, his glower deepened, but was soon replaced by a small twitch in his lips. "Perhaps you think you can out-swim me, then?" The glint in his eyes should have been recognized for the warning it was.

Sadly, Holly smirked. "Oh yeah."

Artemis nodded, as if contemplative. "We shall see, then."

"What?" That was the only coherent word she managed to get out before Artemis heaved, lifting up the raft and tossing her, arms flailing, off the mattress. Shrieking, she hit the water.

Artemis indulged in a small bout of evil laughter, tightening his grip on the raft as he waited for Holly to surface and attack. He'd soon be in pain, but the fear that had flashed across Holly's face had been payment in full.

The attack did not come. Nor did a sputtering, enraged elf rise to the surface.

Artemis took a while to begin feeling uneasy. 'Any moment now. She'll surface and beat me senseless' He repeated this thought several times before it began to lose its calming factors. "H...Holly?" He spun around in the water, fully expecting the elf to be floating behind him, silent as a Marine, fist at the ready.

No Holly.

He did a complete spin, scanning the water's surface.

No Holly.

Not bothering to replace his goggles, Artemis took a deep breath and dived. The chlorine stung his eyes and caused his vision to blur for a few heartbeats. When it cleared, he saw her.

Holly was sinking slowly, curled into a tight ball, arms cradling her head. She made no move to swim for the surface and her eyes were closed so tight that a crease had appeared between her brows.

Artemis cut through the water, soon reaching the elf and wrapping an arm around her waist.

This seemed to wake her up, but only enough to provoke a violent attack. Her kicks and punches were rather well-aimed, considering that her eyes remained closed. One even managed to graze her rescuer's temple, forcing the goggles off.

Unable to dodge the blows _and_ keep a hold on the fairy, Artemis tolerated the assault, pounding his legs on the bottom of the pool and rocketing to the surface.

With an explosion and many gasping breaths, they reached the air. This did little to alter Holly's struggles. She did manage to open her eyes, revealing that her pupils were little more than pinpricks. Blessedly, they had surfaced near the pool's edge, allowing the human to thrust her at the concrete wall.

She immediately grabbed the lip, scrambling out of the water. Sprawling, she panted and heaved as her panic subsided.

Moving slowly, Artemis pulled himself out of the water, sliding to Holly's side. Afraid of a further attack, yet unwilling to leave her alone, he laid a hand on the elf's back. When she did not move away, he rubbed gently, as if to restore warmth. "I thought you could swim." He said, mortified.

Taking a huge, gasping breath, Holly nodded so hard her entire body rocked a bit. "Of course I can."

"Then what was all that about?"

Finally managing to collect herself, Holly wiped the bangs from her eyes, moving to sit in a cross-legged position. "It was...the chlorine, I think."

Artemis blinked, not sure he had heard her correctly. "The...chlorine?" When she again nodded, he was even more puzzled. "It's not a terribly harsh chemical. It shouldn't have done anything to your mobility or magic."

"Uh...no. It's..." Holly appeared ashamed. "The chlorine and being thrown in and...I've been having...issues since Butler put N° 1 and me in the bucket of fat six years ago."

Now Artemis began to comprehend. "The harshness of environment, sudden submergence, and likely your old claustrophobia. It triggered a fear of asphyxiation. That must make work difficult."

Chagrined, Holly agreed. "It doesn't come up much, though. Atlantis gets most of the underwater missions."

"Kraken Watch?"

She grimaced. "Er...I've been fobbing that off on Vein."

"'Fobbing.' you mean you're so scared you're _hiding_ from work?"

Holly could have slapped him. "I am not _hiding_."

"Oh, yes, because avoiding a standard section of your duties because you're afraid is entirely _not_ like hiding."

"What do you want me to do, Artemis?" She was shouting now, fists clenched. "Go see a shrink about it? Because, I guarantee you, if I do that it is a pink slip directly from the Council and a one-way trip to Cumulus House."

"Crazy girly captain?"

"Major, Mud Boy."

"Mud Man, I think."

"Shut up."

Artemis studied his friend. He hadn't seen her this dejected in years. Her shoulders slumped forward, instead of being thrust back to puff out her chest. Her normally spiky hair was now soaked and drooping, rivulets of water moving down her neck with no attempt on her part to shake out the damp. Even her shimmer suit, normally so form-fitting, sagged as if it was also depressed. There must be something he could do to help...

Then inspiration struck. Excited, Artemis slapped his hands to the wet ground, splashing them both. "Then _I_ will be your psychologist."

It took Holly a moment to process this and look at him, and, when she did, her expression was nowhere near as enthusiastic. "You? A shrink?"

He nodded. "Why not? I've written a few very well-regarded papers on the human mind, and this is a rather simple procedure. Desensitization."

"De-what?" Holly squinted at him, already prepared to fight.

Artemis took to his feet, smiling down at his friend. "Also known as 'exposure therapy.'"

Very quickly, it should be noted that fairy swimsuits tend towards a wet-suit like design, squishing the wearer into a rather flat shape. Artemis's red swim trunks did not share this feature. They instead had that most wondrous quality of men's swim trunks: clinginess.

The words "exposure therapy" did not help Holly in the least. 'Woah...over 4,000 years and they still do that? I've never seen...' This was about the time a synapse, blessedly, fried, cutting off brain function for a few moments.

"Will you let me help you?" Artemis asked, not really taking in Holly's stunned expression.

"Uh...huh."

"Excellent." He walked to the wall, opening a rather well-concealed panel and consulting a small collection of controls. "Take off your shimmer suit."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm sure it's water-proof, but you should give it a chance to dry. Unless you want to sit about in a damp suit all night, and you are _not_ doing so in my study. My furniture is too valuable to house a sodden elf. Your one-piece is practically a swimsuit, anyway.

"Er..."

"Do you _want_ to be soaked all night?"

"No..."

"Take it off, then."

Artemis obviously did not realize what he was saying. He was too focused on his psychological mission and the control panel to realize that Holly remained indecisive. He began flipping switches, turning off the lights until the only illumination came from the full moon and stars shining down through the glass roof. "Ready?"

'Think, fool! Let him see you in the one-piece or let him see you get undressed in the dark and _then_ see you in the one-piece!' "One sec!" That was all she needed, too. By the time Artemis joined her side, Holly was standing, arms wrapped over her chest, hoping the dark hid the flush on her cheeks.

He took a moment to inspect her, then nodded in approval. "I always thought green suited you."

Holly tried to think of a response, but couldn't bring herself to voice any of the ones that did manage to emerge. She just stared at him, hypnotized by the reflections coming off the floating water, creating a web of light that danced over his pale chest and face.

After quirking an eyebrow at her silence, he curved his body, diving smoothly into the inky water.

'Oh, Frond. He doesn't expect me to do that, does he?'

As if in response, Artemis surfaced, flipping his head back to fling the hair out of his eyes. Trading water, he held out his arms. "Jump. I wont let your head go under."

She backed away a bit. "I'm not sure this is a good—"

"Do you want Vinyáya to realize you're afraid, Holly?"

"No..."

"Then jump. I'm here. I'll catch you."

Reluctantly, she finally locked gazes with him. "Do you...promise?"

His eyes developed a certain softness she hadn't seen before. "Of course."

Despite his assurances, Holly took a deep breath and closed her eyes before flinging herself off the edge.

Her feet cut into the water, sinking the elf to her chest before she felt his arm squeeze around her waist. On instinct, she returned the gesture, arms curling about his neck.

It took a moment for them to settle in the water. When they did, Holy slowly opened her eyes. She was instantly stuck by how close their faces were. She watched as a drop of water came off one of Artemis's stray forelocks, streaming down his nose before dripping off the tip.

"It's not so bad, right?"

"I think I'd be a bit more willing to agree if you'd tell me why the lights are off." She whispered. It seemed right to whisper when his face was so close to her own.

There was a pause, as if he had to think of a suitable answer. "Replicating the conditions you are likely to be facing in your duties. There is no sense letting you grow accustomed to an artificial light if you will be diving at midnight."

"...riiiiight." She was skeptical, and didn't bother hiding it. "Then how do we do this?"

With a few kicks, he reached the wall, grasping the edge with his free hand. "I will hold us underwater, allowing you to acclimate. Just give me some sort of signal and we will surface."

"A...signal?"

"Yes."

"Like what?"

He shrugged.

Holly considered this. There was no way she was going to let herself float free, with just his arm to keep her from sinking. Nervously, she buried a hand in his wet, slightly tangled hair, tightening her grip. She more let her fingers trail across his scalp, rather than truly tugging. "Will this work?"

He closed his eyes and swallowed. "Yes." He squeaked. Coughing once to throw the moment off, he returned to his task. "Very well. The test run. Are you ready?"

Not entirely certain that she was, Holly nodded, closing her eyes.

Without more preamble than a deep breath, he sunk them into the water.

Instantly, Holly's fist tightened, nowhere near as gentle as before.

Artemis's swift surfacing was due more to pain than his promise. "Ah! Let go!"

"Sorry!" She slackened her grip, blinking the water back from her eyes.

"What was that all about?" The man was trying not to look annoyed and not really succeeding

"I couldn't see."

"It isn't _that_ dark."

"Well, my eyes were closed."

"Your eyes were—" He was obviously exasperated "Well, no wonder you cannot see. Open your eyes."

"In the water?"

"Yes. It's just a little chlorine. It will sting a bit, but not much else will happen." When she continued to look leery of the idea, he sighed. "I will open my eyes, as well. Acceptable?"

"I...fine."

"Good. Are you ready? Trial two."

Again they sunk. Holly closed her eyes as they went under, instantly feeling her pulse double as she was submerged. The temperature, the harsh yet warm feel of the liquid, the lack of sight...it was too much like the rendered fat. Schooling her nerves, Holly opened her eyes.

It did sting a bit, but only for a moment. She blinked a few times as her vision adjusted to the blurriness caused by the water. Then she focused on Artemis's face, which was being illuminated by the oddest intermittent blue light.

He looked enchanted at first, studying her eyes. Then he shook rather violently, forcing them to surface long before Holly signaled. He pulled them closer to the wall, seeking further support as he began to laugh so hard that the elf's body jerked against his chest.

Holly wanted to cross her arms in disapproval, but that would have meant sinking. Instead, she looked up at his dripping face, tolerating the water that fell on her as she glared at him. "What is so _funny_?"

He struggled for control. "Your...eyes. They were healing. Underwater. It looked so odd. Like bad special effects in a fantasy film."

"Healing? Then the water can't be good for my eyes."

"I suppose you are right. Hold onto the edge. I'm going to dive for my goggles." Reaching behind her, Holly clamped the edge with both hands. She watched, a bit impressed in spite of herself, as he cut through the water. He found the item on his first dive, surfacing with no heavy breathing, despite being under for nearly a minute.

'I guess he really has been practicing. Not that you can tell by looking at him... Still, when did he get _good_ at something physical?'

'Well,' another corner of her mind responded, 'it has been years. It's not like _other_ things haven't changed.'

Suddenly reminded of one of those "other things," she momentarily dunked her head in the water, fighting off the rising heat in her cheeks.

"Rather brave of you, Holly." Artemis remarked, reaching out to clear dripping bangs from her eyes. "Hold still while I put these on." Grabbing the edge of the pool, hand resting with only the most minuscule of skin contact with Holly's, he pulled himself close, slipped the goggles over her head, and pushed the lenses, suctioning them on. That done, he placed his now free hand on the other side of her body, floating close to her, their heads on the same level. "Better?"

Feeling utterly foolish in the plastic things, Holly said she was.

"Very well. Shall we proceed?" He again wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling their chests together and prompting her to restart her neck and hair grip. "Deep breath, now." Then they submerged.

It was, in all honesty, one of the blandest things Holly had ever seen. The water was dark, though clear enough for her to see the wall on her peripheral vision. It was an unadorned white, excepting a few depth and distance markers. The only thing of real interest was Artemis, so that was what she focused on.

He also studied her, obviously not bothered by the chlorine. His hair moved about in the slight currents of the pool, floating almost straight out, as if he hung upside-down. In fact, it was perhaps the closest the genius would ever come to the "Manga hair" so loved by Billy Kong.

Holly couldn't help but grin at this odd comparison.

Seeing his "patient's" calm reaction, Artemis gave her a smile. Several large air bubbles escaped his mouth.

This puffy-haired bubble-breather was so different from the dignified Artemis that Holly couldn't help but laugh. She squeezed his hair, desperate for air to supply her rising laughter.

He surfaced immediately, giving such a curt nod (as if he hadn't just looked like an utter clown) that Holly was forced to fling her head back, lest she begin swallowing the pool water.

"That went well, though we surfaced a bit more early than I expected. Is your lung capacity really so small?"

"No!" She shook her head. "You just looked so _stupid_."

"Hmmm. I appreciate your unflinching honesty."

"I'm sorry, really, but you _did_." Her remorse immediately died off as she felt the water flowing around her. By the time Holly lowered her head and looked about, the pool's edge was several feet away and quite out of reach. "What are you _doing_?"

"Moving towards the center."

"But what about the wall?"

"There are no walls in the ocean."

"But I need it!"

"No. You need to be in open water with nothing but your own abilities to help you. The wall is an even bigger crutch than the lights."

"I've been in crutches. I can deal with crutches."

"Do you think Foaly could get a message to Vinyáya for me?"

"...you play dirty."

He feigned a pout. "But the water has made me so squeaky-clean." When his only response was a scowl from Holly, he shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better, I do not intend to let you go, just yet."

Oddly, it did. Until she processed the "just yet" part. Still, she had shown enough of her nerves for the night. "Fine. Let's just get this little psychological experiment over with." She took a humongous breath and glared.

Taking his cue, they sank again. This time, Artemis had to push away from the surface with his free hand to keep them from popping back up.

Looking about the pool, its edges now lost in darkness, Holly was horrified to note that her heart rate had risen. 'I'm stranded. I can't get out! I need air! Help, I need—'

Artemis tightened his grip around Holly's waist, clued into her reaction by the tensing of muscles. Slowly, he shook his head. "You _are_ in control," he seemed to be telling her, "and this is not some inescapable trap. It's just water."

He was, of course, correct. Even if Holly hated to admit this. She steeled herself, allowing him to keep them underwater until her lungs burned and she finally deigned to give in and signal their rise. After so long under, they took a while to recover from the lack of air. Holly was not in a very talkative mood, so, despite needing more time to catch his breath, it was Artemis who spoke. "Brave girl. I knew you'd get over this quickly. Do you think you could keep your eyes closed this time?"

"I'm not sure I like that idea. Why should I?"

"You are coping with the current arrangements splendidly, bit it is still not a situation you will be in very often. Even if you have a partner, they will not be cuddling with you all through a mission.

If not for the fact that she loathed the idea of being in the water alone, Holly would have pushed him away. "We are _not_ 'cuddling.' This is _therapy._ "

"Indeed. However, my point stands. You will not progress, so long as the status quo is maintained."

A sense of horror filled her. "You're going to let me go."

He shook his head. "I am not."

"Yes, you are!"

"Believe me, Holly. I have no intention of letting you go."

"Why should I believe you?"

He sighed. "You have my word."

"Oh, that's always been so valuable a commodity." She studied him a moment. It was hard to tell when Artemis was telling the truth, and the results of his lies were memorable enough to make anyone wary. 'Holly, seriously,' she chastised herself, 'even if he were to let you go, he would _not_ let you drown. And you know he's right. You'll never get over this if you don't continue.'

"Fine," she grumbled, though her grip tightened as she closed her eyes. "But if you do let me go, then I am sending another kick at your thick skull, and this time I will _not_ miss."

"Fair enough." He nodded. "Deep breath."

With her eyes opened, Holly hadn't been exactly calm, but she had at least been able to observe her surroundings. Eyes closed, her mind ran wild. 'No air. I have no air. Oh, Frond, he's going to let me go and I'll sink. I will freeze up and he wont get to me in time. I am going to _die_ in an _indoor pool_. He's going to let me go. He's going to let me go and there's no air and he's going to—'

Instead, Artemis kissed her.

Holly's eyes snapped open, but the rather pointy daggers she sent Artemis's way bounced off his closed eyelids. Rage bubbling up, she released her hold around his neck, bringing her legs up and pushing him away with all four limbs.

Artemis, unable to keep his one-armed hold, was thrust back. Halting his momentum with a few lazy strokes, he hung in the water, studying her. Very slowly, he smirked, devilish.

'That's it. I'm going to kill him.' Holly had not been exaggerating about her own swimming skills. With a series of powerful kicks, she propelled herself towards the smug genius.

He had a brief moment to continue gloating before the seriousness of her advance sunk in. He curved his body around a punch, barely managing to escape serious bodily harm. Then he began moving towards the surface, suddenly thankful that he _had_ been training. He certainly would never win any awards, but he could at least keep out of the fairy's range for a few meters.

Holly followed, determined to break at least one of his bones, though she wasn't particular about which.

Artemis crested shortly before the homicidal major, turning to face her. He held his arms crossed in front of his face, trusting that any attack she made below the surface would be softened by the water.

Emerging only a few feet from him, Holly thrust her entire arm out, as if pointing would help to convey some of her fury. "What did I say?" She was shouting, the rage in her eyes magnified by the plastic goggles.

"Wait a moment, Holly. You must agree that I did _not_ let you go."

"No! What did I say when we were getting Jay Jay?"

He frowned. "Oh. Yes. That."

" _Over._ "

"Well, you did say 'in another time,' and this _is_ technically—"

"OVER!"

"Are you enjoying your swim?"

She paused.

She looked at the water around her.

She took a deep breath and submerged.

Then she gave a rather powerful kick, closing the distance between them in a moment. Despite the hindrance of the water, the punch she landed on Artemis's solar plexus was enough to wind him.

He floundered, taking deep, gasping breaths (with a few unavoidable trickles of pool water thrown in). When Holly surface in front of him, he shied away, but her fury seemed to have abated.

"I'm cured! You did it!"

He wheezed. "Spectacular. I suppose one must call this 'shock therapy.'"

She inspected the boy as he made a slow recovery. This was the Artemis she knew. Conniving, yet a total putz after one good punch. "Why did you have to do _that_? Couldn't you have just let me go?"

Once he was full of enough air to breath normally, he shook his head. "Even if you had allowed it—and, if your whining was any indication, you would not—treatment would have taken quite a few more sessions. You needed a 'quick fix,' as it were."

"Well, was that really the easiest way to 'shock' me?"

He considered this. "Perhaps not, but I also just wanted to kiss you."

She gaped. "You...you wanted..."

He gave her a gracious nod. "But of course. You are a rather difficult woman to forget, Major Short."

Holly half-submerged her head, breathing out in exasperation, causing bubbles to pop up about her head. This gave her time to formulate a reply, even if the words did not entirely satisfy her. "You knew I would be angry."

He shook his head, but not to negate her statement. "I imagine any relationship with you is fraught with violence."

"You make it sound like I'd be committing spousal abuse on a daily basis."

He blinked. "'Spousal.' My, my, but you do move fast. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that level of commitment, yet."

She lashed out an arm, though this time it was only to splash his face.

Artemis had the dignity to not splash back, acting quite offended as he wiped the water from his face. "Seriously, Holly. Do you intend to be mad at me for forever?"

She looked up, as if considering this. "The thought had crossed my mind." She had been joking, but when she looked at Artemis he seemed to have wilted. "Oh, come on! You can't be serious."

Artemis glowered. "I am serious. I have spent the last six years trying to get over...this, and I haven't. It is now painfully obvious to me that I shall not be 'cured,' and, like you, I need to confront the matter directly."

"Artemis..." Holly's heart was pounding again. Adrenalin. Fight or flight. "What are you saying?"

Tentatively, he reached out, requesting one of her hands.

Not certain she would like where this was going, Holly bestowed it, their hands curling together as if about to begin a dance.

Pulling her closer, their faces inches apart, Artemis continued in a whisper. "Isn't it obvious?"

She swallowed. "I don't understand you, Artemis. I mean, I get what you're trying to say, but...why?"

He gave the slightest of shrugs and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling the elf against his chest. "You don't have to understand me, Holly. What's important is...can you accept me?" Still finding it hard to believe that she was tolerating this closeness, he leaned his head in, stopping when their noses rested together. Waiting for her to move.

She couldn't help but give a single "ha" at this. "Do I have a choice? You seem to have a hold on me."

"You always have a choice. I will never hold you against your will again."

"Ah..." She closed her eyes. "In that case..."

Very gently, she pushed him away.

Artemis let his arm uncurl from her waist. He bobbed in the water, focusing on a point between their two bodies. He seemed to be collecting himself. When he finally did speak, his voice cracked on the first words. "Very well. We should probably get to work. There's a lot to do and—"

Kicking as hard as she could, Holly launched herself at Artemis, wrapping her arms around his neck and dragging them both under the surface. She took a moment to enjoy the startled look in his eyes before leaning in, joining their lips in a fervent kiss.

Holly hoped Artemis had taken a deep breath before she pulled him down. They could only remain under the water for so long before the need for air would force them up. Then they would have a long talk and, if she knew both of their personalities, there was likely to be another fight. In the meantime, she simply indulged in the feel of his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling their bodies together as they sunk into the dark blue.


End file.
